few add’l comments
1 - arc has indeed incorporated some ss elements into their tube amps and preamps in the past decade plus, most as drivers and cathode followers -- this is due to their desire for a more linear frequency response/transparency and better PRAT than all tube configurations would allow ... their mindset, which i support, is to have the benefits of tubes (holography, smoothness and body to the sound, mild overdrive characteristics) whilst minimizing the demerits (lazy transient response, poor bass control, low damping factor)
2 - the main product arc will no longer service is the 100.2 power amp, as the toshiba bipolar transistor it is based on is NLA... too bad they took this stance... they could have the customer sign a waiver if the amp fails in repair... most of the time, it is power supply caps that go -- very rare for the actual solid state transistor to fail, but under mcintosh management, they have wanted to avoid the liability (would surmise they had at least one case where they got burned fixing a customer unit)
3 - agree that they may want to expand into the digital space... given market trends... we shall see what trent has in mind - we don’t know the funding situation trent and his group is bringing - maybe they have ample funding to take up some r&d
4 - the main issue arc faces i think is that there are very good lower end competitors now, offering excellent quality excellent sounding products at roughly half their prices - most prominently primaluna - arc’s international expansion and success with their legendary brand name has helped keep them solvent making ever more expensive (and still utterly excellent sounding) products, but how long can this persist, especially with a world struggling as it is looking forward
